This invention relates to an improved sheathed cutting means for cutting seals around windows in vehicles.
Both manual and automatically driven cutting mechanisms have been known in the art for quite some time. In the automobile industry, the windshields and windows placed in vehicles are sealed by means of a urethane seal, in most cases. When, for whatever reason, it is desired to remove and/or replace a window in a vehicle, a variety of cutting mechanisms known in the art are employed. A product indicative of the state of the art in this regard is the "Fein AStlxe 636-5 Special Cutter" sold by Fein Power Tools, Inc. of Pittsburg, Pa. As advertised, this device "solves" problems encountered with removal of glass by means of long blades in a variety of configurations that oscillate from right to left without any up and down movement. Similar devices also are available. For instance, a "wild cat knife and blade pneumatic oscillating tool" is produced by C. R. Laurence Co., Inc. The company advertises the product as capable of cutting through hardened urethane with ease. Further, it is alleged that the blades from the Fein device fit the wild cat knife. These and all other tools known in the art designed for this purpose must urge the blade of the device around the bottom edge of the windshield in order to cut the urethane underneath the windshield. Often the urethane is too far away for blades to reach. Further, at the bottom corners of the windshield, the fenders of the automobile often block the use of the cut out tools known in the art. Often panels covering the bottom of the windshield must be removed in order to use the existing tools. Still further, often these tools can not be used at all because chrome moldings or other combination chrome and plastic moldings will not allow the blade to reach completely around the windshield. Each of these tools is designed to be utilized from the outside of the windshield with the blade reaching underneath the lip of the windshield in order to cut the urethane. The operator's ability to control the blade, which goes around the edge of the windshield and inside the car, is limited from the outside of the car and, as a result, interior moldings are often damaged. Additional damage is caused by the fact that the blades utilized in these inventions are rigid and are incapable of conforming to the curvature of the windshield as it cuts through the urethane. Further, the cut out blades known in the art are exposed over the length of the blade so that even those portions not in contact with the urethane are exposed and capable of damaging other parts of the vehicle unintentionally.
Thus, there is a need in the art for providing a sheathed cutting means with a flexible blade capable of conforming to the curvature of the windshield from which the urethane is being cut. Further, there is a need in the art for a cutting means capable of being utilized from the interior of the vehicle without the necessity of removing any parts of the dash molding or paneling. It, therefore, is an object of this invention to provide an improved cutting means for use in cutting urethane from windshields of vehicles from the interior of the vehicle by means of a sheathed flexible blade capable of conforming to the curvature of the windshield.